The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-31
NEAL DOW ON THE MAINE LAW.
He Says It Has Abolished Poverty and Made
the State Rich and Prosperous.
PORTLAND Aug. 30.-Gen Neal BOWS latest
utferanca ON the Maine law ia this

PORTLAND. Aug 3o.-Gen. Neal BOWS latest
utierance the Maine law is this:
MANY years ago the people of Maine con-
sumed more strong drink than any other State
in the Union. Mr. Blaine. writing the sub
ject, said that at one time no people in the
country used such enormous quantities of
liquor did the people of this State. To-day
can say that State the whole Union
uses SO little. Mr.. Blaine has also said that no
State has prospered SO remarkably during the
past twenty years Maine There is
for all this change. Temptation for strong
drink has been put out of the way.
Years ago there were great industries carried
on here. The lumber trade employed a large
proportion of our men, and the fishing inter
ests occupied many more. These products
were nearly all exported to the West Indies and
other southern countries. and bartered for rum
and molasses The owners of the saw-mills and
the fishermen never made the State ST. richer.
and the only results of their industry were
population of topers, dIapidated school houses,
shiftass farmers, and decaying farm buildings
When Blaine said that Maine is the most pros
porous State in the Union he spoke the truth
The dilapidated buildings are being repaired
replaced by new ones, handsome in architecture
and substantial in structure. and the almost
hopeless poverty is giving way to vigorous
industry, intelligence and wealth By careful
estimates this State now saves. directly and in
directly, the of $24. 600. 600 yearly. In face
of these facts it is a great wrong for DR.. Crosby
to say that the Maine law is failure. All other
public issues shrink into insignifcance when
compared with this question, and the cause can
hardly have more dangerous barrier In its way
than statements like this of DR.. Crosby's. They
dangerous because we have struggled for
more than quarter of century before the eyes
of the Nation, and il successful our example
will be followed by every State in the Union.
Such men should be informed. 80 that they will
never repeat such statements that of the
clergyman l refer to. the fact that the larger
proportion of intemperance has been banished
the fact that of the seventy open grog shops
that fiourshed in the city of Portland twenty
five years ago not one remains; the fact that
liquor is imported from the West Indies
aud that the barrels of rum that once occupied
acres of land at the Portland wharves after the
unloading of cargoes is abollshed-do not all
these facts signify progress in one direction OF
the othera Were not three fourths Of the lails
empty six months after the law was passed. But
people say they do not understand why the
grogshops in the larger cities allowed to
ist That is the KEY to the situation. After
thirty years of trying to work out the great
problem. people point to few of the large cities
and say, Look at Name It is easily seen why
the putting out of the way of such obstacles to
the this is of the utmost Importance
Most Of the oon-keepers, except those of
Bangor, dispose of their rum on the sly"